Today is the letter V.
Vanilla: This is part of the obsolete term usage opposite pervy having to do with how often system interacts with events at the table.
Vanilla Narrativism: Holy moley, this is weird. Here is a definition of a style of play that assumes that people who are playing it, don't recognize themselves as being contained within this definition of play. (Seems useful, doesn't it). I'm going to break it down. Here's the statement.
Narrativist play without notable use of the following techniques: Director Stance, atypical distribution of GM tasks, verbalizing the Premise in abstract terms, overt rules concerning narration, and improvised additions to the setting or situationsSo, not having the player make meta-game decision, or take on the GM workload, or stating the moral or ethical conflict 'abstractly' (out loud? outside of a specific implimentation?), without rules about who can talk when, or improvising new setting features that is still narrativist play.
Apparently this is where we find the definition of what narrativist play is 'supposed' to contain.
Ron has this to say, defining vanilla narrativism. (I quote it because is is one of his more palpable statements, i.e. one that is possible to parse)
The first point is that we're not talking about any kind of hybrid - not some sort of overlap with Simulationist play, for instance. Vanilla Narrativism is merely a sub-set of Narrativism, no overlapping.
The second point is the defining one: the conduct of play (which also includes the rules, if we talk about design for a moment) does not jar the player who tends to be used to more traditional modes of play, but it does encourage Narrativist play. The specifically Narrativist-facilitating moments, expressed either by a rule or by the encouragements of others at the table, are perceived mainly as nifty opportunities and not as some overwhelming responsibility. One does not worry, in this mode of play, about "doing it right."
Remember, all narrative is defined as is addressing a moral or ethical question through play.
Not worrying about if I'm doing it right?
Worrying about if I'm doing it right?
He's kidding. . . Isn't he?